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Three nights after our arrival, we have set camp on the beachside. With the storm dissipated, we expect calm seas and reasonable wind to resume our journey. Although everything is set, there is a problem on hand, and it is a bad news.

Everyone gathers around the bonfire we made to keep ourselves warm. James is already there, with some of his personal crews near him. His expression is grim, but still serious with the matter at hand.

"I want to give an announcement. Due to the failing of the turbines because of the storm, we lost the power necessary to cross the stormy seas," started James. He is referring to that gruesome incident.

"But, we still can use the sails, right?" said one sailor. "We can't be stranded here."

"The gears were displaced when Til's hand got crushed by them. We may still be able to repair it, but it needs time to clean it. What's worse, we lost our coal supplies in the storm, so we can't rely on the steam. Without the turbines, we can't survive another storm like that, not to mention the dangers of the unknown sea."

"So we are stranded..."

"I was thinking about opening the forest for us to use the logs as repairs and fuel, but I'm also aware that this is Isola Region, and we are yet to meet the locals. If by any chance the ones responsible in this island do show up, we can ask their permission, and we can continue our journey east. I'm so sorry that this happened. I know most of you are retired and I coerced you to follow me to the new world. I didn't think about the risks, but...will you follow me until this is over?"

I can see some of them are unsure whether they will follow him or not. It's true to my group. The Ice Breaker is broken and we are not prepared for this risk. What I really think of, actually, is that if this is how my journey ends, and I will eventually return to Sideview Village without ever giving out the results of my journey, giving Lilac a disappointment of her brother.

But even so, my adventure in this island has just started, and thus, after that announcement, there is another surprise coming up.

When James is talking about clearing the forest for the woods, my wolf ears pick up a noise amongst the group. The captain is not aware of it, but I can clearly hear it now after the silence of uncertainty fall upon us. The noise is weird and unnatural, but it sounds like...a hiss? Then I thought, if there's a bloody giant snake in that forest, we're screwed. Some of the Lycans have also heard off the hiss, and from their concerned expression, I think they are thinking the same thing.

Then Tim approaches me and said, "Hey, Hans...do you hear that?"

"Do you think it's a..."

"A giant snake living in the forest can be a decent hunt, but I can't risk getting gobbled up by a slithering reptile. It's not my fate, and I'm not signing up for that kind of outcome."

What's worse? We are standing near a forest, and the unexpected comes.

"Oh, how rude of you. I'm not actually going to 'gobble you up'. Your intent isss unclear."

We freeze in place. Tim and I are stunned and sweating bullets. I gulp then slowly turn to the direction of the voice.

And thus, for the first time ever in my Lycan life, does I yelp in fear.

There IS a giant snake living in the forest!

"Don't be scared, mammals. I'm just your friendly neighbor anaconda who happens to be sleeping."

"A giant fuckin' snake!" exclaimed Tim. "This is not how I'm going to die! Back off, you vile beast!"

"Hey, hey, are you kidding me? If I'm not thinking ssstraight I might've just ssseen you as another regular wolf in the forest. Yessss, I am an anaconda, but I'm sssmart enough to know that you're talking."

The snake (or anaconda. I just can't quite sure) is three times bigger than us and all menacing when he talks, despite of the friendly conversation. It is a long snake with expressions on its face, which kinds of scary for me. I hate snakes.

What even troubles me is how James stays calm despite the panic his crew expresses. He casually walks between us, clears his throat, and said, "I presume you're the local of Isola region?"

"I am a local, yesss, but if you want to cut down the foressst, it isss not me to talk to. I'm but an anaconda."

"Then who should I talk to?"

"I am."

Okay, from this point on, the story might take a very weird development, and I am thinking I am inside a twisted fantasy of some sort. Since Isola region is a relatively unknown island region, we never expect the locals to be normal humans, but we are completely not aware that instead of another canine-like creatures, we are facing reptiles, or should I say, were-reptiles.

Another figure comes out from the forest. As far as I can see, this one is a humanoid lizard wearing tribal clothes and using an ornate bow. He's not as tall as the Lycans, but I can see that most of his body length is attributed to the long tail a lizard has. He is wearing some kind of a loincloth wrapped around his waist and covering his 'parts'. He is also wearing a pair of shoulder guard and a strap around his torso with a knife tugged in the pouch. Because he is waving his tail around, I can see that he also has a pouch around the base of his tail.

"Don't mind about Sslaithi. He's just curious to see mammals on the beach. My name is Anniki Kro'manko. I'm a gatherer who happens to be on this side of the forest."

"I'm Captain James Hemarson of Ice Breaker. To be honest, this is the first time I've seen the locals and meet them. Are you usually so reclusive?"

"We are not very reclusive. Yes...we are a little bit...isolated for you mammals. But...our tribe leader is working on the official agreement with your continent."

"Take me to your leader, then."

We follow the reptilian gatherer through the thick forest. Along the way, I sense so many others like him and that anaconda watching us from behind the thick foliage. This gives me the shivers unlike before. I never have thought that reptilians can be superior to us mammalian creatures, given their sizes and intelligence. Yet, apparently, the cultures of the humanoid lizards are not as advanced as the main continent.

After a while, we come upon a wooden wall, guarded by two giant lizards that look menacing as hell. By the moon, I will never even believe in reptiles anymore. Who would've thought that a lizard can stand on two legs with big jaws that rival the biggest crocodile I ever heard of?

"Hans...I think I shat myself," said Tim.

"You disgusting wolf. What's wrong with the Lycan pride?" I said, but Tim is genuinely scared with the lizards.

"First a giant black snake, and then this? This is some marvelous shit, alright. I'm high as fuck..."

"Hey, language, mate."

"This is just a fucking dream, right?"

What we don't expect is how big the bloody island is. When the door is open (by those giant lizards, of course), we are being greeted with a town full of reptilians, ranging from massive lizards to the humanoids one we have been following through the forest. The houses are still made from wood, but big enough to rival the giants. For them, the trees are mere bushes as they eat some nearby trees. I can see some of them are even used for transport.

"Welcome to the Saurit village, travellers. We don't expect visitors coming from the west, but we're a big place itself."

"Fascinating!" exclaimed Spencer. "To think there are still giant lizards than alligators."

"Uhmm...we don't call ourselves lizards, human-wolf. We're not lizards. Well, I do look like a lizard, but I'm a velociraptor descent."

"Velocity raptor? You mean like, eagles?"

"I know eagles, but we're more ancient than those raptors. You can talk with our leader about our history. The truth is, I'm not that well-educated," said Anniki scratching his side. What a sharp claw he got there.

Anniki escorts us to the small house directly beside us. He knocks to the door and after talking a while (I'm surprised they still talk with English), another one, clearly of different race, greets us. With James and some of my group, we come into the village leader's home, which is not furnished much.

"Welcome to Saurit village, wolves and humans. Just ask about what you want. We are happy to be visited."

"Can we uh...ask about this island in particular?" I started. "How can this reclusive village be acknowledged as a region under a union treaty? Not many seem to know about this place."

"This place is not a place of secret, but still, your union treaty refuses to believe that Saurians, or in particular, draconians, exists. I'm a draconian, and the reason why I am chosen as the leader of this village."

"But, why the secrecy?"

He pauses for a moment. "This island is in the middle of an ocean, out of the water laws of Ternor continents and the continent regions. I still report to the Union, yes, but they cover it so that no one knows about the inhabitant of this island, so I assume that you think there are tribal humans living in this place."

"I only heard of draconians in fictionalized accounts, and they are actually depicted as..."

"Dragons. Yes, I am aware of that."

There is an awe coming from the room, in particular me. I've known dragons in stories of knighthood, but they are just child's story, and I just knew that dragons are just fictions because, well, they're flying lizards, and those who wrote it might 'accidentally' draw bat wings on them, just to make them menacing. In the end, they are still trampled.

"Draconians are evolved dragons, just like Saurians are evolved dinosaurs. Long time ago, dragons and dinosaurs do existed, but they face extinction, and both dragons and dinosaurs started to extinct. This island is stuck in that time period before the extinction, and I don't know what caused it, despite of us knowing a lot about you. We just live in harmony together, nothing weird of that."

What's weird is how you're staring at me at all times, I thought. Yes, the draconian is staring at me when he's talking, as if he is reading my mind.

James then goes straight to business and asks about the condition of the ship. The leader is contemplating it, but he eventually agrees to clear some part of the forest that has old trees. We are exhaling in relief of that news, and thank the leader for it.

But before we leave, the leader said, "I want to talk with the black furred one, if you might."

"Hans? What's up with him?"

"Don't worry, it won't take long."

I knew there's something he's doing to me, I thought. He stares at me with those reptilian eyes that bug me more than a fellow Lycan staring at me. After a minute or so, he said, "You may be the one, werewolf."

"Pardon me?"

"You have chivalrous heart and a strong sense of goal in you. Draconians like me can understand that kind of thing, even if you deny it. Go explore a sea cave near south of where your ship is docked. There's something magnificent there."

"What is it? Is it treasure?"

"Return to me when you've seen it, and I'll explain."

I don't know what he means, but it sure is mysterious. I talk with both Spencer and Tim about it, and they agree on following me there the next day.

"I don't know, mate. It could be dangerous," said Tim. "But I can't help being stuck in a tent while we are waiting for another trip."

We take a rest for the night. The next morning, some of the crews are gone for expedition and sightseeing. The three of us followed what we planned the night before and walks along the coastline to the south. There is a giant mouth of a cave with low tides. What makes it unsettling is that it's dark. It's not that we're afraid of the dark, but the place seems to hold the most dangerous prisoner when I read the inscription that reads 'Abandon all hope, ye who enters here.'

I brace myself to follow the cave, while Tim is too scared to get in. Spencer ends up following me, but his excitement starts to turn into concern when the air in the cave gradually becomes colder and colder.

"Oi, mate, is this really a cave that holds a treasure?"

"Depends on how you think..."

I trip on something hard. I must be in the dry part of the cave. There is a dim light illuminating the path, made from mirrors facing the sea. I am not sure if I should follow, but nevertheless, with no other choices, I come in. The air starts to become like winter, but colder. By the time we realize it, we are not coming into a regular cavern. It's lined with glimmering ice because of the reflection, and dimly lit. It's freezing in the cave.

But then, we come out to a very big room of a cave, now with glowing runes and such. But what actually takes my attention is the rune-filled chain from one side of the cave. There are also chains dangling on the ceiling, and bigger chains on the ground. I am not sure what it's actually holding until I see the end of it, and that's when I feel the worst kind of fear I've ever experienced in my entire life.

The cavern is holding a prisoner and one of the most unusual prisoners ever. The runes glow bright, and it triggers a small growl. It wakes up, opening its azure blue eyes with slit pupils. The ice starts to become colder, and from the only part where I can see, is the bastard.

For the first time ever in my life, I believe in dragons.